Starlit Hope
by Russet022
Summary: RLOC. Another of my RemusTilia fics. Remus is all doom and gloom during the first war, and Tilia gives him a reason to hope. When his daughters, in the second war, express the same concerns, he passes on a nugget of wisdom and of hope.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is another fic from the long, changing saga that is Remus and Tilia's story. In this one, Remus does not turn Tilia away. The time setting is just after they leave school.

Starlit Hope

Part One

Tilia and Remus left the Order meeting just past sunset. The sky had grown dark, but the moon had not yet risen. They were silent, both thinking of the grim news they had been given. Neither one of them had ever dreamed in their worst nightmares that the war could be so awful. It seemed a very long time had passed since they had left school, but it had only been a year and a half. It was hard to believe that they were almost twenty. Looking back at what had happened in the past week alone, they felt lucky to be alive.

"Let's go home," Remus said softly, glancing warily at the dark street around them. "It's dark out."

"Of course it's dark, Remus, it's night," Tilia said, laughing softly so as not to disturb the gravity of the atmosphere around them.

"I meant that the world was dark, and every day ahead of us looks darker than the last."

Tilia sighed, and glanced up at the first few stars twinkling in the sky. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Remus asked, confused at the abrupt change of topic. "We really need to get home."

"It won't take that long."

She led him to a small, grassy park a few blocks from where they had been. She checked the dampness of the grass, and then sat in the middle of the park, as far from the glow of the streetlights as she could. She patted the ground beside her.

"Sit down; it's barely wet."

"Is this the wisest thing we could be doing?" he asked, sitting down carefully.

Tilia shook her head. "Probably not," she replied as she lay down, placing her hands behind her head and stretching her legs out. When Remus did not move, she caught his arm and pulled him down beside her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Look at the sky," she ordered, pointing above her.

He stared for a few moments, at a loss as to what he was supposed to be seeing. "There's just a couple of stars up there, as usual." He sighed deeply. "I don't get it," he said flatly. "Let's go."

"Just give it five more minutes," she pleaded.

Slowly, more stars began to appear. The minimal cloud cover broke and the waning moon came over the horizon. Remus glanced at his watch.

"It's been five minutes," he stated. "Can we go now?"

"Just look at the stars," Tilia whispered. "The moon is inconstant, what with phases and cloud cover. But the stars are always there. They show through the breaks in the clouds, and shine the brightest when there is no moon."

"So?" Remus asked.

"Darkness has to work hard to extinguish the light, but light need simply exist to vanquish the dark. As long as there is light, there is hope."

Tilia sat up. Remus started. "Wait, where are you going?"

"You wanted to go home. I'm done, so let's go."

He grabbed her arm. "Just give me five more minutes?" She raised an eyebrow. "I want to think about what you said."

She smiled, leaned down, and kissed him. "You are my light, Remus Lupin. Don't you dare go out."

Remus pulled her close. "I don't plan to." He held her for a long moment, watching the stars shine above him, filling him with hope.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Tilia and Remus have two children, twins, and they are Harry's age. In this version, anyway...I just thought it was sweet, a little bit of bonding in a dark world. Enjoy.

Starlit Hope

Part Two

Remus looked up from the _Evening Prophet_ when Annie slammed her book down on the table in frustration. Lyna looked up from her parchment, her quill still held loosely in her hand.

"When is Mum coming home?" Annie asked.

Remus sighed. Tilia had been working over-time for days, trying to clean up the mess left by the bridge collapse. "I don't know," he said softly.

Lyna smiled grimly at her sister. "Don't worry Annie. She'll be fine."

"But it's dark out."

"That's because it's night," Lyna said patiently.

Remus frowned. Annie had been increasingly moody since the battle in the Department of Mysteries, and Lyna had been the best at dealing with her. Remus had only seemed to estrange his daughter more in the past few weeks. He had always been closer to Lyna, but he had never really felt as worthless as he did now, with Annie barely speaking to him. He had wanted to be the best father he could to both girls, but Annie had never bothered to try to get along with him, and he was ashamed to say that he had returned the favor.

"I know," Annie snapped. "I meant that the world was dark, and every day ahead of us looks darker than the last."

Remus recognized those words as his own prophecy of doom during the first war. He glanced out the window to see the first few stars twinkling in the sky. "Come outside a moment?" he asked his two daughters.

They exchanged a look that spoke a thousand words, but they decided to humor him. They stood and pulled on jackets. With the dementors about, it was cold even in mid-July.

Though the grass in their backyard was slightly damp, Remus sat, and patted the ground beside him.

"Sit down; it's not all that wet."

The girls shrugged. "Why are we doing this?" Annie asked.

He tilted his head up and looked at the sky. More stars had appeared since he had glanced out the window. Both girls followed his gaze. Lyna sighed.

"Should we be out here, with the dementors all over London?"

"Probably not," he said, and lay down carefully, glad for the old cloak he had thrown round his shoulders as he walked out the back door. He reached out and gently tugged at Annie's sleeve. "Come on, or are you afraid of getting wet?"

She rolled her eyes and lay down. "All I see's the stars. Can't we go back in? It's freezing out here."

"It's not that cold," Remus said. "Just give it five more minutes."

The waxing moon slid over the horizon and gave the mist surrounding them a silvery cast that made Remus shiver. More stars than he had bothered to notice shone overhead.

"It's been five minutes," Annie stated, glancing at her watch.

"So it has," Lyna murmured, trying to be the diplomat.

"Just look at all the stars, though," Remus whispered.

The girls shook their heads. "I don't get it," Annie began.

"The sky's no different than it's always been, Dad. Let's just go in," Lyna said before Annie could further complain.

Remus sighed, trying to recall exactly what it was Tilia had said nearly fifteen years ago. "Your mother told me something once," he said quietly. "I'd forgotten, until you mentioned how dark the world is tonight."

His daughters looked at him, suddenly curious. He often passed on little bits of wisdom, but rarely did he preface it with something their mother had told him. He generally left those bits of wisdom to her.

He glanced up at the stars again, then said, "The moon is inconstant, what with phases and cloud cover. But the stars are always there. They show through the breaks in the clouds, and shine the brightest when there is no moon."

"So?" Annie asked.

"Darkness has to work hard to extinguish the light, but light need simply exist to vanquish the dark. As long as there is light, there is hope."

He pushed himself to a sitting position, and prepared to haul himself to his feet.

"Wait, where are you going?" Annie asked.

"You were cold, and wanted to go inside."

"That was before you said—what you just said. About the stars and hope and stuff."

Lyna sighed. "Just five more minutes? I want to think about that."

Both girls lay quiet for a few moments, watching the sky. Then Annie sighed and sat up.

"Did Mum really say that? Or did you just make that up now?"

Lyna sighed. "Must you always be so skeptical?"

Annie blinked, and opened her mouth to reply, but Remus cut her off.

"It's all right," he said softly. "If you don't believe me, ask your mother when she gets home. As for right now, my little lights, shall we go inside? It is fairly chilly out."

Annie frowned. "His little lights," he'd said. But she had always thought he loved Lyna more. She stayed sitting a moment longer as he pulled Lyna to her feet. She watched her twin open the door and slip inside. She glanced up at her father. He extended a hand to help her up. Impulsively, she hugged him.

He seemed surprised, but held her close, and she suddenly understood what Lyna had meant when she said she felt safe when he held her. She understood what Lyna had meant when she had said that she felt that he might not be able to make everything right, but he could sure make things a whole lot better.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He smiled, though she could not see it. "You don't have to apologize," he said softly. He released her, and stepped inside holding the door open for her. But she stood a minute longer, head tilted back, watching the stars shine above her, filling her with hope.


End file.
